Drumstick

ABSTRACT

A drumstick comprising an elongate shaft with a handle at one end and a striking tip at the other end, said handle radially enlarged at diametrically opposite portions thereof, and having opposite flattened sides so that a drummer is enabled to grip the handle of the drumstick with improved dexterity, while the flattened sides reduce irritation of the drummer&#39;&#39;s fingers during use of the drumstick.

United States Patent Harrison DRUMSTICK Louis Duane Harrison, 2030 Covent Ave, Evansville, Ind, 477l4 [22] Filed: June 18, 1973 [2|] Appl. No.1 371,288

[76] lnventor:

[52] US. Cl. 84/422 [51] Int. Cl. GlOd 13/00 [58] Field of Search 84/422 R, 422 S [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 72,824 l2/l867 Durand 84/422 S 2,485,822 lO/l949 Goldrich 84/422 S [H1 3,893,364 1 July 8,1975

3,150,555 9/1964 Sage 84/422 5 Primary Examiner.l0seph W. Hartary Assistant Examiner.lohn F. Gonzales [57] ABSTRACT A drumstick comprising an elongate shaft with a handle at one end and a striking tip at the other end, said handle radially enlarged at diametrically opposite portions thereof, and having opposite flattened sides so that a drummer is enabled to grip the handle of the drumstick with improved dexterity, while the flattened sides reduce irritation of the drummers fingers during use of the drumstick.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures DRUMSTICK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to drumsticks and particularly to a drumstick having an improved handle or gripping means thereon to enable the drummer to grip the drumstick with improved dexterity and to reduce the irritation of the drummers fingers during use of the drumstick.

Conventional drumsticks generally are made of wood and have a round or cylindrical configuration with an elongate. round, or cylindrical handle or gripping means at one end thereof and a striking tip at the other end. The round gripping means or handle of conventional drumsticks will irritate the fingers of the drummer during use of the stick, particularly when the drumstick is gripped in the left hand of the drummer with the drumstick held between the first and second fingers of the left hand, since the drumstick presents a relatively small area of contact with the drummers fingers.

Various attempts have been made in the prior art to eliminate this problem of irritation as by providing a cushioning means on the handle or gripping portion of the drumstick. However, such constructions are only partially satisfactory since the cushioned handle or gripping means of these drumsticks still presents a relatively small contact area with the drummers fingers.

The present invention provides an improved handle or gripping means of a drumstick. which presents a relatively large flattened area for contact with the fingers of the drummers hand, and accordingly, irritation of the drummers fingers is substantially reduced. Moreover, the flattened sides of the handle in accordance with the invention enables a drummer to manipulate the drumstick with greatly improved dexterity and ease of manipulation. At the same time, the improved handle of the present invention does not adversely effect the tonal quality of the drumstick. and the drumstick may be used equally well in either hand of the drummer.

Further, an improved striking tip is provided on the drumstick which in conjunction with the improved handle results in increased durability and wear of the drumstick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a drumstick in accordance with the invention, showing the manner in which the improved handle may be gripped between the fingers of the hand.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the drumstick of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2a is a perspective view, with portions broken away, of a modified drumstick wherein the flattened sides are not tapered.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are enlarged views in section taken along lines 3, 4, and 5 respectively, of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view with a portion of the drumstick broken away and showing a still further modified handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the drawings like reference numerials indicate like parts throught the several views. A first and preferred form of the invention is indicated generally at 10 in FIGS. I through 5 and comprises an elongate body or shaft 11 having an improved handle or gripping means 12 at one end thereof and an improved striking tip 13 at the other end thereof.

A conventional drumstick and the drumstick 10, each is about 16 inches long, and the improved handle 12 of the invention preferably extends over about 7 inches ofthe length of the drumstick. so that it may be gripped at different positions'therealong to suit the individual preferences of different drummers.

Furthermore, a conventional drumstick, including the shaft and handle, is about /8 of an inch in diameter, and the shaft 11 of the drumstick according to the invention is also about of an inch in diameter. However. the improved handle I2 of the present invention is approximately 1 inch wide on the flattened sides. thus presenting a much larger area of contact with the drummers fingers, and has approximately the same thickness as the body or shaft 11 of the drumstick, or in other words, a thickness of about of an inch. The handle then, simply has been radially expanded.

As viewed in FIGS. 1 through 5, the handle 12 has a substantially constant size and shape extending from the butt end 14 of the stick [0 toward the tip end I3, to a gradually and smoothly inwardly tapered portion I5 which smoothly blends the enlarged handle 12 with the body or shaft 11 of the drumstick. The handle 12 includes wider and narrower arcuate rounded portions 16 and 17 respectively, and opposite flat sides 18 and 19, slightly diverging from the narrower portion 17 toward the wider portion 16, so that the handle more closely conforms to the space between the first and second fingers of the drummer as the stick is gripped by the drummers hand H as shown in FIG. I, with the narrower portion 17 of the handle 12 positioned adjacent the base of the fingers F and F and the wider portion 16 of the handle positioned toward the outer ends of the fingers F and F In this manner, the outwardly tapered opposite flattened sides 18 and 19 of the drumstick more closely conform to the naturally outwardly tapered configuration of the facing inner portions of the fingers F, and F and thus irritation of the drummers fingers is substantially reduced; and the drummer is enabled to manipulate the drumstick with improved dexterity.

As seen in FIG. 2a. the opposite flattened sides 18' and 19' of the handle 12 are made without taper, thus saving the drummer the necessity of distinguishing between the wider and narrower arcuate portions before positioning in the hand H. Further, the growth rings of the wood in FIG. 2a are positioned essentially parallel to the flattened sides 18' and 19'. This has been found to increase stick life.

Another modified drumstick 10a, illustrated in FIG. 6, is substantially the same as the drumsticks l0 and 10'. except that the handle 12a has an enlarged knobshaped butt end 14' to enhance the grip of the stick during use. The enlarged end 14' of the handle 12a enables the finger tips to better grip the drumstick.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the end of the body or shaft 11 opposite the handle 12 is tapered to a necked down portion 20 and then radially enlarged to define the striking tip 13. As seen best in FIG. 5, opposite sides of the striking tip 13 are flattened as at 21 and 22, said flattened sides terminating at their upper and lower edges in arcuate, rounded portions 23 and 24 for striking a drumhead or other suitable surface. This configuthe ble.

flattened sides, renders the drumstick more dura- Any one of the unique drumsticks l0, or 100 may be held in a conventional manner. or the stick may be gripped between the fingers as illustrated in FIG. 1, this being the primary intended use of the stick.

What is claimed is:

A drumstick comprising:

an elongated shaft having a butt end and a tip end, said shaft comprising an elongated handle adjacent said butt end, a wooden striking tip portion adjacent said tip end. and an elongated intermediate wooden shaft portion extending longitudinally and coaxially from said handle to said tip portion,

. said handle comprising opposite flattened side porradially enlarged portion connecting adjacent opposite longitudinal edges of said flattened side portions. to facilitate gripping of said handle by a drummer,

e. said wooden intermediate shaft portion and said wooden striking tip portion having growth rings extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft.

2. The invention according to claim I in which said flattened side portions are substantially parallel.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said growth rings are substantially parallel to said flattened side portions.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said radially enlarged portions are rounded convex outward.

5. The invention according to claim I in which said tip portion comprises opposite flattened side portions and diametrically opposed radially enlarged portions convex outward connecting corresponding longitudinal edges of the flattened side portions of said tip portion, the cross-sections of said handle and said tip portion having major axes which are substantially coplanar. 

1. A drumstick comprising: a. an elongated shaft having a butt end and a tip end, b. said shaft comprising an elongated handle adjacent sAid butt end, a wooden striking tip portion adjacent said tip end, and an elongated intermediate wooden shaft portion extending longitudinally and coaxially from said handle to said tip portion, c. said handle comprising opposite flattened side portions, each flattened side portion having a width greater than the crosssectional dimension of said intermediate shaft portion, and greater than the cross-sectional dimension of said tip portion, d. said handle further comprising a first radially enlarged portion connecting adjacent longitudinal edges of said flattened side portions and a second radially enlarged portion connecting adjacent opposite longitudinal edges of said flattened side portions, to facilitate gripping of said handle by a drummer, e. said wooden intermediate shaft portion and said wooden striking tip portion having growth rings extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said flattened side portions are substantially parallel.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said growth rings are substantially parallel to said flattened side portions.
 4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said radially enlarged portions are rounded convex outward.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said tip portion comprises opposite flattened side portions and diametrically opposed radially enlarged portions convex outward connecting corresponding longitudinal edges of the flattened side portions of said tip portion, the cross-sections of said handle and said tip portion having major axes which are substantially coplanar. 